Did France and Britain Almost Unite into the Franco-British Union? (Short Animated Documentary)

France and Britain have, numerous times, come close to becoming one state? But how close? And why didn't the two formally unite into the Franco-British Union? Well you can find out in this short and simple, animated history documentary.

Spoiler: it was in 1940 and was a proposal supported by Winston Churchill and Charles de Gaulle.

A special thanks to all of these Patrons below, without whom the show wouldn't be possible:

Franco La Bruna
Patrick M.
Kevin Sanders
Stefan Møller
Gregory - The Bittersteel
Ian Jensen
Richard Wolfe
Chris Fatta
anon
sharpie660
D. Mahlik
Dragan
Wold
Qi Xiao
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Andrew Niedbala
Rod D. Martin
Paul McGee
Bernardo Santos
Christopher Godfrey
Jeannette Baechle
Tristan Kreller
Warren Rudkin
Magdalena Reinberg-Leibel
Danny Anstess
Christopher S Nelson
Chris Hall
Shaun Pullin
Perry Gagne
bas mensink
Alen
James Bisonette Fan #1
Joooooshhhhh
Henry Rabung
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Cap
I’m Not In The Description
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TooMuchWaterYouDie
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Konstantin Bredyuk
João Santos
Donald Weaver
Richard Hartzell
Steve Bonds
Nick Finan
Christine Purvis
Pierre Le Mouel
Seth Reeves
Nathan Perlman
StukaJi86
SirAlpaka
Andrew Miraut

Sources:
Suez 1956: A European Intervention? by Ralph Dietl

Prelude to Downfall: The British Offer of Union to France, June 1940 by Avi Shlaim

[frose]

Uk: I hate you
France: I hate you too
Germany: *Forms*
Uk: Friends??
France: Yeah

[aldotorres]

1940
England: "Join us, or die!"
France:. "We'd rather die!"

[salahddinebensebane]

Germany is really good to make enemies into friends

[ricardoguanipa]

That sounds like Canada with extra steps

[thespianed]

Crisis: happens

UK and France: Hippity hoppity lets unite our property

[m.a.]

The only time where Africa would have been a country

[corporalzeph]

Considering their relations during WWII, the Franco-British Union would've been the most dysfunctional country ever

[james_baker]

"Would have fallen apart five minutes after the war was over."
Nice.

[hecticfreeze]

"France and Britain have not had the best relationship"
Talk about a bloody understatement

[tonyhawk]

"France and Britain have not had the best relationship"
35 wars in 1000 years, which makes it the biggest rivalry in human history lol.

[naksis]

UK and France joining a union is literally the quote "keep your friends close but your enemies closer"

[scanida]

The Emperor of this country would probably have been James Bisonette because at this point, he literally finances this channel...

[petergyt]

Canada has been half British and half French since 1867 and they're still figuring it out.

[CruzaComplex]

Imagine being handed a personal union over France and saying no.

[HellbirdIV]

"The first time that there was any real chance of unification was at the height of the Hundred-Years War."

*angry Roman noises*

[ChessedGamon]

Oh christ this video made me imagine French being spoken in a thick Welsh accent and I can't get it out of my head

[alanparker]

as half French half British it makes me happy to see these two old rival nations being together in the fearful moments 🇬🇧🇫🇷

[EricDec]

The French: Since a third of your vocabulary comes from French, let's make it the official language.
The British: Sounds fair.
The French: But you are have to pronounce it properly tho.
The British: We're out!

[dmeads]

Britain and France are like those two people who grew up hating each other but then start dating when they were adults.

[cerebrummaximus]

England: Let's play-fight!
France: Ok
Germany: Can I play-fight too?

France and England: *Overly Dramatic music*